Garter



March 2- E. M. TOMPSETT 2,274,912

GARTER Filed June 19, 1939 IN'VENTOR. Ella Mar/e Tompscff flmu 5 ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 3, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GARTER Ella Marie Tompsett, Bloomfield, Nebr.

Application June 19, 1939, Serial No. 279,868

8 Claims.

My invention relates to garters for attachment to stockings to suspend the stockings from the shoulders of the wearer.

An object of the invention is the provision of garters which are concealed under the outer garments but which securely hold the stockings without wrinkles.

Another object is the provision of garters Which are adjustable both front and rear to the size, both length and breadth, of the wearer.

Another object of the invention is the provision of garters which cannot slip off the shoulders of the wearer.

Another object of the invention is the provision of garters in which the support is formed from elastic tape with the provision of means for preventing the twisting of the tape when the garters are in use.

Still another object is the provision of garters having means at the front and rear for automatically adjusting the garters to every movement of the body of the wearer.

Another object of the invention is the provision of garters having no metal parts positioned to come into contact with the wearers skin.

It is also an object of the invention to provide garters which are simple in form, whichare washable, and which do not require the use of buttons or pins.

Another object of the invention is the provision of light-Weight garters which insure complete freedom of movement on the part of the wearer and which cannot bind or cut or rub the flesh.

Another object is the provision of garters which 1 are seamless on the shoulders and at all other points where they come into pressing contact with the body.

Another object of the invention is the provision of garters which do not bind under the knees or pull over the knees, or leave a gap between the underwear and the hose to chap or expose a bare zone to the cold.

Another object is the provision of garters which are adapted to fit either girls or boys of all ages including women and men, both slender and plump.

An important object is the provision of garters which exert a slight but yielding pressure on the we-arers abdomen, thus tending to flatten the abdomen.

Having in view these objects and others which will be pointed out in the following description, I will now refer to the drawing, in which Figure l is a plan view of the front portion of the garters.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the rear portion of the garters.

Figure 3 is an edge view of the elastic straps at the crossing of the straps at the rear of the garters.

Figure 4 is a detail view in perspective showing the application of inelastic tape to prevent the twisting of the straps. I

Figure 5 is an illustration showing the useof the garters.

The garters include two elastic straps I0 and I I which are each looped at both extremities and secured by means of adjustable buckles I2 for lengthening or shortening the garters. Each end of both straps is also provided with the usual garment fastening device I3 for securing the straps I0 and I I to the stockings at the front and rear thereof. The straps pass over the shoulders of the wearer and therefore are a comfortable length for the wearer, adjustment of both the front and the rear being provided for in the buckle strap for lengthening or shortening the garters.

Since the straps pass over the shoulders and since a portion of the strap passes over the chest and the other portion passes down over the back, the front portions of the straps may be designated by the numerals Ifla and H0, and the back portions by the numerals Illb and Ill). The front portions, as best shown in Figure 5, are parallel to each other but they are connected to each other by crossed straps I4 and connected to the straps Illa and Ila by diagonal seams Hi. The straps I4 are not secured to each other, thus permitting the greatest possible freedom of movement of the chest and arm muscles without permitting the straps I0 and II to jump off the shoulders.

At the back the straps II) and I I are crossed by means of the loops as best shown in Figure 3. A short strap I5 is stitched at its opposite extremities to the strap III?) to form a loop therewith and a similar strap I6 is similarly stitched to the strap I II), the two loops being interlocking. This permits the greatest possible freedom for the back muscles since the straps have unresisted sliding movements within the limits of the loops formed by the straps I5 and I 6.

Elastic straps of the length required for passing over the shoulders and far enough for attachmentto the stockings in the manner indicated tends to cause the elastic straps to become twisted which makes them uncomfortable for the wearer.

This is especially true because the straps are worn close enough to the body to absorb some of the perspiration which increases the tendency of the straps to twist. This is overcome in my garters by means of an inelastic tape or fabric Which reinforces the elastic straps at the points where the tendency to twist is the greatest. The points where this tendency is greatest are at the seams l4 and I! and for this reason the fabric strip I8 may be incorporated with the seams at that point. The inelastic fabric strip It covers the raw edge of the straps l4 and I5 and I6 as well as reinforcing the straps at these points. When the highest grade of material is employed in making the elastic straps, the tendency to twist is absent or practically so. In such cases the strip 18 serves only or rather mainly to prevent the unraveling of the elastic straps at the raw ends.

Having thus described my invention in such full, clear, and exact terms that its construction and operation will be readily understood by others skilled in the art to which it pertains, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. Garters including a pair of straps of a length to pass over the shoulders of the wearer for attachment to the stockings at opposite points of the upper edges of the stockings, said straps being crossed at the back thereof and having interlocking loops for limited sliding reception thereof and being parallel to each other in the portion passing over the wearers chest, and a pair of crossed straps between the parallel portions of said first named straps, said crossed straps being secured at their extremities to said first named straps but having free sliding contact with each other, and said interlocking loops and crossed straps constituting the only connecting means for said first named straps.

2. Garters including a pair of straps having a length to pass over the shoulders of the wearer and each strap having means at both extremities thereof for attachment to stockings, said straps being parallel to each other in the portion passing over the wearers chest, and crossed straps connecting the parallel portions of said first named straps, said crossed straps being free from each other and all of the terminal portions of said first named straps being completely separated from each other so that the extremities are adapted to connect to the stocking at opposite points of the upper extremities thereof.

3. Garters including a pair of straps, said straps having a length to pass over the shoulders of the wearer and having means at both extremities thereof for attachment to stockings, said straps being parallel to each other in the portion passing over the wearers chest, and short elastic straps in crossed relation between the parallel portions of said first named straps and secured only to said first named straps and being free from each other to permit sliding movement between said crossed straps, and all of the entire terminal portions of said straps being completely separated from each other so that the extremities are adapted to connect to the stockings at opposite points of the upper extremities thereof.

4. Garters including a pair of straps of a length to pass over the shoulders of the wearer for attachment to the stockings at opposite points of the upper edges of the stockings, said straps being crossed at the back thereof and being parallel to each other in the portion passing over the wearers chest, means slidably connecting said straps at the crossing thereof, and a pair of crossed straps between the parallel portions of said first named straps, said crossed straps being secured at their extremities to said first named straps but having free sliding contact with each other, and said slidable connecting means and crossed straps constituting the only connecting means for said first named straps.

5. Garters including a pair of elastic straps of a length to pass over the shoulders of the wearer for attachment to the stockings at opposite points of the upper edges of the stockings, said straps being crossed at the back thereof and being parallel to each other in the portion passing over the wearers chest, means slidably connecting said straps at the crossing thereof, and a pair of crossed elastic straps between the parallel portions of said first named straps, said crossed straps being secured at their extremities to said first named straps but having free sliding contact with each other, narrow strips of nonelastic material secured to and covering each end of each of said crossed straps to prevent twisting thereof, and said slidable connecting means and crossed straps constituting the only connecting means for said first named straps.

6. Garters including a pair of straps of a length to pass over the shoulders of the wearer for attachment to the stockings at opposite points of the upper edges of the stockings, said straps being crossed at the back thereof and being parallel to each other in the portion passing over the wearers chest, a short strap secured to each back portion of the first named straps adjacent the point of crossing to cooperate with its back portion to provide a loop, the short strap of one loop being threaded through the other loop and the crossed back portion of the strap of the other loop being threaded through the first loop, and a pair of short crossed straps between the parallel portions of said first named straps, said crossed straps being secured at their extremities to said first named straps but having free sliding contact with each other, and said interlocking loops and crossed straps constituting the only connecting meansfor said first named straps.

7. Garters including a pair of elastic straps of a length to pass over the shoulders of the wearer for attachment to the stockings at opposite points of the upper edges of the stockings, said straps being crossed at the back thereof and being parallel to each other in the portion passing over the wearers chest, a short elastic strap secured to each back portion of the first named straps adjacent the point of crossing to cooperate with its back portion to provide a loop, the short strap of one loop being threaded through the other loop and the crossed back portion of the strap of the other loop being threaded through the first loop, and a pair of short crossed elastic straps between the parallel portions of said first named straps, said crossed straps being secured at their extremities to said first named straps but having free sliding contact with each other, said interlockingv loops and crossed straps constituting the only connecting means for said first named straps, and narrow straps of non-elastic material secured to and covering each end of each of said short elastic strips in both the back and front connecting means whereby twisting is prevented adjacent said regions of connection.

8. Garters including a pair of straps of a length to pass over the shoulder of the wearer for attachment to the stockings at opposite points of the upper edges of the stockings, said straps being crossed at the back thereof and being parallel to each other in the portion passing over the wearers chest, a short strap secured to each back portion of the first named straps adjacent the point of crossing to cooperate with 5 its back portion to provide a loop, the short strap of one loop being threaded through the other loop and the crossed back portion of the strap ELLA MARIE TOMPSETT. 

